


Titans, Corpses and Crows

by Namigati



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: (obviously..holy shit it's a serial killer!AU), AU, Eventual Smut, F/M, M/M, Serial Killers, Violence, holy shit I'm bad at tags, mental illness reference, some depictions of violence--graphic or non
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 19:10:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1358644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Namigati/pseuds/Namigati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I want to play a game with you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Killer and Cleaner

**Author's Note:**

> I've done enough research on psychopaths, sociopaths, depression, psychosis, paranoia, clinical therapy, real world murderers, human psychology, and the like in order to write this story in a more realistic way than just "They kill people and always get away with it because they're awesome." Now, with that being said, I've also done what every artist and writer has done and taken creative liberties in order to fit the themes and events into the story I wanted to tell. Sometimes you may go "Wow! She really took the time to look into this topic!" while for others you may think I just made shit up. Don't. Those are just me ignoring realism for the sake of my plot. Is it right? Probably not. Will I do it anyway? Hell yeah I will.  
> I hope to tell an engaging story that will entertain you, and by no means do I wish to frighten anyone. I choose to not use certain warnings to withhold any spoilers, however THIS IS A WORK ABOUT SERIAL KILLERS. I don't think my writing gets too graphic, but people still die and shit still gets pretty intense, so this is one of the warnings for you.
> 
> I also romanticize serial killers, so if you just want to see them killing and then spiraling out of control and getting caught/dying/getting their comeuppance, you probably shouldn't read...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I want to play a game with you.”

Filthy. Absolutely filthy. The rancid odors filled the room, bowels of the deceased man completely voided. He was lying dead in his own feces and vomit and it was utterly disgusting. Levi got straight to work in cleaning up. Like they always did, the bastard lived in filth, and like always, Levi had to make it right. He quickly changed his gloves and replaced the handkerchiefs over his head and mouth with fresh ones. It only took him an hour and a half to clean up around the man’s apartment, the smell of bleach and lemon-scented floor cleaner.

When he got back to the body, it was purple and looked waxy and made Levi crinkle his nose. He sighed and hoisted it back into the tub, which had a fresh pool of bleach in it. Finally he could leave this horrid place.

The raven was sure to lock the door on his way out, and brusquely made his way out of the building, concealing the gloves and kerchiefs. No one said anything to him, no one noticed him. Just the way he liked it.

People were so dirty, so disgusting and Levi hated it. He hated them. When he was younger, it was dirt and dust that he attacked so fervently. But no matter how much he cleaned, he never felt cleaner, until he realized it wasn’t the dirt or the dust that truly bothered him. The dirt was from others carelessly walking about, not caring about the damage they were causing, the dust from their neglect and abandonment. It wasn’t the dirt and dust at all that he hated, it was what the represented to him: the grotesque nature and sins of those around him. By then, Levi knew he liked cleaning, it was all he knew. So he knew what he had to do about the real filth in the world. He had to clean.

* * *

 

_It was five years ago that you first heard of me; three years ago when you first saw me. Two years ago, you first approached me. You knew what I was. You knew from the very beginning._

“You’re a very meticulous person, aren’t you?” a deep voice rang out of the dark on the abandoned street. It was three in the morning, no one was just wandering the streets in this area, unless they were looking to buy or sell. But Levi knew that wasn’t what the man wanted. He had seen this man before, he knew before the other even stepped out to reveal himself. He was tall and broad, probably very muscular underneath his three piece suit. His blond hair was combed back and he held a brown briefcase that Levi knew would be as empty as his devilish smile. He travelled a lot for his job, just as Levi did. They had passed each other many times on the roads of different cities in different states. For the last year Levi had noticed him, easy to pick out in a crowd, and yet if he wanted to hide in plain sight, he would have no trouble.

When Levi didn’t answer, he didn’t seem too perturbed, and merely continued conversationally, silky voice filling the air, “I’ve been watching you for awhile.”

“That’s creepy,” Levi didn’t move. If he were truly creeped out, he didn’t show it.

The man chuckled and nodded, “Yes, well, honestly I find you fascinating. Such a clean man, and yet you take it upon yourself to do all this dirty work. It’s impressive, really.” He was beating around the bush, and that agitated Levi.

“What do you want?”

“I’ll be blunt—”

“Well that’s good,” Levi interrupted with an impatient shift on his leg.

“I want to play a game with you.”

Levi blinked before he continued to walk. He passed the man, but didn’t so much as spare a single glance upward, even when the other hummed at him.

“Not interested? I’m a fair player myself you know. And isn’t your current style getting old?”

Levi paused several feet behind the man. The blond had piqued his interest, “What would you know about playing this game?”

“Ah, I’m sure you’ve heard of me, just as I’ve heard of you,” the man said, “You’re the Corpse Cleaner, aren’t you? A bit of a silly name, I’m sure you could come up with something much better, but it does get the point across.”

“And who might you be?” Levi turned ever so slightly to see the man grinning out of the corner of his eye.

“I’m sure you could guess,” he said coyly. Levi just sighed, not really in the mood for dragged out guessing games. He wanted to go home and shower. And clean.

“There are, on average, between thirty and fifty active serial killers, do you really expect me to pinpoint one?”

"I’m sure you could. You’re very intelligent.”

“You’re the Titan Killer,” Levi had actually known for a little under a year, he had looked into recent killings and connected the dots—the Titan Killer was a traveler like himself, and there were many found bodies in the same cities he had seen this man at. It was almost impressive how quickly he could find targets and still do whatever normal job he held.

“Very impressive,” the blond said, nodding, “Though I expect no less from you. Little Bird.”

“Excuse me?”

“Forgive me, it's just you seem cautious and swift. It just reminded me of a bird. And since you’re so little—”

“Yeah, I understood that part,” Levi waved his hand, not really wanting to go into it any more. He frowned, and reached into his pocket. Out came a pen and sliver of paper, and Levi quickly wrote down an address and time and handed it to the man who pocketed it without so much as looking at it. The blond wore a content smile.

“Meet me then and there and we’ll talk about the rules of the game then,” Levi turned and walked off, shoving his hands into his pockets.

* * *

 

Soothing music played gently from behind the bar, matching the mood the soft lights set throughout. “ _Club Sina_ ” was written in red and blue neon lights by the door. It wasn’t so much a club as a restaurant, there was a bar and all the tables were spread spaciously. It was never very loud or crowded—a rarity for the city, but it was very public, the people of the city just preferred loud pumping rhythms as to grind themselves against each other to this place and its more sophisticated atmosphere. Levi liked it because it was clean and all the people in it were clean. Well, some were, and those who were not were still cleaner than the rest of the filth.

It was here he waited for the Titan Killer, at a secluded table angled by a wall and by the large window that overlooked the lights of the city. The time he had written three days ago was 8:30, so he was technically one hour and thirteen minutes early, but he wanted to see how long he’d be waiting. The Titan Killer looked like he’d either be right on time or twenty minutes early, so he didn’t want to be the second one there just in case. It would look bad—after all Levi had been the one to invite him.

At 8:10, he saw the familiar figure saunter through the door. Twenty minutes early it was then.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” the blond flashed a teasing smile and Levi made a noncommittal grunt in response.

“Don’t worry about other people overhearing us, they know to not seat me too close.”

“Ah, they know you here? That’s dangerous.”

“Or I just told them not to seat anyone within earshot of me. I ordered you a scotch and the lobster and steak meal.”

“How sweet, you know what I like,” he smirked at Levi, “What did you get for yourself?”

“I assumed. I got an appletini and crab cakes,” Levi blinked, and noticed the mirth flood into the other’s crisp blue eyes.

“You ordered a soft drink.”

Levi narrowed his eyes, but allowed a dry smile to flash on his lips, “Very good.”

“Now, about those rules,” the blond paused and graciously thanked the waitress when she brought out their drinks. Once she was gone, he continued, “I believe they should be mutually beneficial and challenging for us.”

“I’m listening. This was your idea,” Levi sipped on his soda, waiting.

“For all intents and purposes, I’ve proposed a game of reckless abandonment,” the man lifted his drink to Levi for a toast, “Be spontaneous and get as close to the fire as you can.”

The raven lifted his glass in return, with a cocked eyebrow, “So you want to get close to being caught?”

“Exactly. Be careful enough to cover your tracks, but not be too thorough. There should be a certain thrill to it: which one of us can go crazier with our ‘hobby’ without getting found out?”

Levi thought it was an interesting notion and he nodded, on board for this little game.

“So...first one caught loses, obviously. What else?”

“Hmm, let’s keep it in a specific area,” the other suggested. So they planned and plotted rules for their game over dinner, coming to an agreement by dessert.

“Alright,” the Titan Killer said when the waitress dropped off their lava cake and coffees, “No accomplices to aide in evading the authorities, we hunt only in this city—sans the southwest district—we have to kill at least twice a week, no harming witnesses—”

“Or kids,” Levi interjected. He sipped his coffee and took a careful bite of cake.

“Or kids,” the Titan Killer echoed, “No leaving the area, no pinning your kills on someone else and no taking credit for another kill. Obviously there’s no tipping off the cops to any of this, that’s mutually assured destruction. Anything else?”

“We can get creative as we want with these, right? Like fucking up a crime scene, posing the bodies, leaving some sort of message for each other, stuff like that?” Levi went for another bite at the same time as the blond and immediately recoiled, backing off the plate.

“Ah, yes, and the best kill of the week should get a reward. I say the week’s loser buys dinner,” blue eyes sparkled as the Titan Killer gave Levi a dazzling smile.

“Fine, but don’t expect much. I have no imagination.”

“Little Bird, I have no doubts about the expanse of your beautiful mind,” he said fondly.

With another equivocal grunt, Levi stood and the startling blue eyes followed.

“And I don’t think it needs to be said, but no harm should come to either of us by the hands of the other,” he threw a quick gaze to the window, out at the shimmering lights against the darkness, but turned his attention back to the handsome face in front of him, “It wouldn’t be very fun if one of us got hurt. So let’s make sure we do everything we can to prevent that.”

“That sounds wonderful,” the other killer grinned and nodded politely as Levi glided past him toward the exit.

He left the Titan Killer with the check, but he doubted it’d be a problem in the long run.

* * *

 

The screen flashed whites and reds and blues, police on the scene, reporters flocking after them. Levi sat stiff on his couch and stared at the television with his apathetic gaze, unmoving and unblinking. The intrepid newscaster stood on the left side of the screen, and as she talked, the camera slowly zoomed into the house behind her.

"I'm here at 1501 Mulberry Road at the crime scene of a grisly murder. Reports came in at 1:30 this morning of a rancid smell and when investigators checked, there was confirmed to be at least one dead body in the house. The identity of the victim has not yet been released, and investigators will neither confirm nor deny if this is the latest in a string of murders by either the notorious Titan Killer, or the equally likely Corpse Cleaner. Sources have told that the two serial murderers have both taken up post in this city and have begun their sprees. Authorities are encouraging everyone to stay indoors and remain vigilant."

Levi stopped listening; it wasn't as if they were going to show the crime scene. The raven itched with curiosity, wondering what the Titan Killer did for his first kill of the game. It didn't matter—he didn't have time, it was almost 3 am and he had to get going soon. His victim was going to be leaving for home any time now and Levi wanted to be waiting for him. He got up and pulled on his grey trench coat, switching off the TV on his way out of the apartment.

When the sick pervert got home, he was dragging some poor girl into his house. She stumbled about, slurring and giggling.

"I'm sooooo good righ' now, y'know?!" the poor thing probably couldn't even see 20 centimeters past her face. It was good, she had done nothing wrong aside from being an idiot and drinking too much. And going home with a disgusting stranger. It took her awhile, but she finally realized she wasn't in her own house when they collapsed on the couch.

"Ya said, we were goin' ta m'place?" she shook her head, "I wanna call m'friend, she'll pick me up, and I'm goin' home..." but the man didn't like that. He didn't get aggressive, just kissing and touching her, even though she tried pushing him off.

"Shh, c'mon baby, I'll take you home when we're done!"

"Lemme go, creep!"

"I'd do as she says," Levi stepped out of the shadows from the open kitchen, face concealed by both darkness and a sterile kerchief. Both jumped at his sudden appearance, "Just let her leave."

"Who'zat?" the girl squinted, trying to get a better look at the small man.

"I'm his roommate. I already called a cab, lady, so you can just take it home, alright?"

"What th—"

"Shut up and let her go, asshole." The force of Levi's words startled the pig into letting the girl's wrist go and she somehow stumbled her way out of the house without hurting herself. When the man tried to go after her, the raven brandished a chef's knife he had found in the kitchen, which paralyzed the stupid bastard. They waited like that, Levi holding the knife toward the other man, until they heard the cab door open and close seven minutes later.

"I don't have any money."

"Shut up." Levi tossed the knife back and forth between his hands, "You're a lot bigger than I thought you'd be... You know?"

The idiot actually lunged at Levi. Sure, the killer had been trying to coax him, make him more confident that he could overpower the smaller man, but he didn't think it'd work so quickly. It must've been the buzz. Levi pondered it a bit as the steel pierced the soft flesh of the man's belly. As he pulled the knife out and shoved it hard back into the hunched over figure, he decided that he simply didn't care.

As the man squirmed and cried, Levi dragged him to the bathroom and left him face down in the tub. One by one, he opened bottles of bleach and poured them in with the man, who sputtered and tried to shout for help.

For his part of the game, Levi only brought three containers of bleach, where normally he'd have several stashed away to fill a tub and drown someone. It didn't matter, he wasn't going to do much clean up this time. "Reckless abandonment," the Titan Killer had said. He let the bleeding man thrash about and attempt to escape the tub, and hold his head out of the liquid, but he was bleeding out, his wounds and mouth burning from the bleach. There was no point in waiting around, so he tidied up the rest of the house, scrubbing the floors and using air freshener all over. When he went back into the bathroom, the man had made a mess all over, splashing bleach onto the walls and floor, but he finally passed out from blood loss and pain, and was probably dead or dying. Levi only nodded and left the way he had come in.

* * *

 

"And another grueling murder this week, the authorities are working tirelessly on the—"

The TV switched off. Levi reached over and pet the ears of the enormous Ragdoll cat that stretched itself across the back of the sofa. The tomcat purred lazily and slid off the back and climbed into the man's lap. "You're too heavy, Captain," the little killer said blankly, earning a low, drawn out  _mrrrrrr_.

Looking at the clock, Levi figured he had time for a bath before bed. It was 10 am, and he didn't have to be into work until 6 the next morning, so bath, bed, cleaning were on his to-do list.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this little thing. It's a story that my girlfriend and I came up with. Most (leaning towards 80%) of Erwin's dialogue, motives, killings, backstory etc. come from her. The whole basic encompassing plot is mostly hers, I'm just expanding upon it and writing it down and cos I thought it'd be a shame for others not to read it.
> 
>  
> 
> Also this chapter has been sitting as a draft for a couple weeks, so I decided it'd be okay to post it now *nervous laughter*.


	2. Death with a Side of Corn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're truly magnificent," the blond cooed. Levi made a noncommittal grunt in response.

An amused _tsk_ came from the blond, and Levi narrowed his eyes. "While I must say I'm impressed you were able to abandon your norm for your first submission to the game, you didn't really do all that much different."

"I told you, I'm not creative," Levi sipped his soda. He knew he'd lose, he never learned to do it "creatively" it had always just been something necessary. There was no reason to make it flashy and spectacular, and him not cleaning up the body and bathroom as he normally would have was definitely risky in any case. Levi thought it was pretty good for the first.

"Only a small block," the Titan Killer smirked, "You could use your tools in different ways. Breathing in vapors is dangerous, wouldn't you say? And you know ammonia is similar, I'm really curious as to how well it cleans up." Was he really trying to give Levi ideas? The raven must have been doing a lot worse that he thought. "Either way, I really love how you branched out, so I'm picking your first one as my favorite this week."

"No need to be nice about it," Levi said dryly before pausing to think about which of the kills was his favorite for the week. "I like the one that you decapitated and put the head on his lap. It was funny."

"Ah," the blond grinned, "I've been meaning to see how it was for awhile, you just gave me a good excuse. Did you like what I wrote?"

"' _Alas_ ',  ' _Oh sacred mouth_ ', ' _All is Vanity_ ', ' _Et in Arcadia Ego_ ' and ' _we bask in our own mortality_ ' stuck out the most," Levi was amused, but only nodded, "Cutting and pasting quotes from older texts is a bit silly, though. You do know those were more so about the human skull than severed heads, right?"

"I'm aware, but it seemed like a good theme to ramble on, don't you think?"

"It was messy."

"So you still don't like it, but it's your favorite?"

"I like it. You're just messy."

A comfortable silence rested over the two as they ate dinner. The blond's contented smile never wavered, even as Levi glared whenever they made eye contact. He really was having fun with this. Maybe he was just bored of his normal routine of murder and wanted a change of pace. It'd be an appealing alternative to devolving and getting caught or killed, Levi mused.

"Why don't I pay this time," the blond said after he ordered dessert for the both of them, "Since we're just starting out and trying to get comfortable with this game."

"I clearly lost—wasn't this part of the deal? Why bother saying it if you aren't going to make me pay?"

"I want to impress you," the blond said it sincerely, but Levi didn't know him well enough to judge when he was lying, "To be quite honest, the entire game is because I find you interesting and want to get to know you better. And since I hardly buy things for myself, and you most likely like to save for cleaning supplies, it'd be my pleasure to buy dinner for you."

"How romantic," Levi responded flatly, but when the check came, he didn't reach for it. If the blond wanted to waste his money on him, so be it. It was his choice—Levi wasn't going to lose sleep over it.

When they left, the Titan Killer offered to give Levi a ride, to which the raven snorted derisively. It didn't matter, the blond had been teasing him anyway.

"I eagerly await our next meeting, Little Bird," he said as he kissed Levi's hand gently and they parted ways.

* * *

 

The Ragdoll's deep mewls broke Levi's concentration. _You're being creepy again_ , he seemed to say. Nothing new, the cat just wanted attention anyway. A small hand reached down to pet the large belly, and Levi turned his attention back to the television. With his hood up, long black hair spilling free from under it, and grey eyes raptly glued to the screen, Levi admitted he probably was more creepy than normal. It didn't matter: the Titan Killer had struck again and his attention was all on the news coverage about it. He needed to know the location, which was the only thing the news was good for since they wouldn't show any actual part of the murder, just the reporter standing in front of the building.

It was a pain, having to go to each crime scene himself, just so he could have details of what happened. But it was a part of the game—he had to make an accurate judgement for each "submission" from the other.

It had been several weeks since their game had begun and it was honestly the most fun Levi had ever had. He had already learned more creative ways of thinking, from soaking one of his victims by spraying them with a water gun full of ammonia and bleach before drowning them in a child's swimming pool to roleplaying that he was on a date with them, and cooking for them as they were tied up, force-feeding them bleach.

Each time, the blond would praise him highly and _insist_ Levi was the winner, but the Cleaner liked the other man's killings more. Like the one where he hacked up the body and scattered the pieces around the house, making the investigators put the victim back together like a sick puzzle. And the last one, where the message had been, "So sorry about the mess. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Please don't be angry with me. I couldn't stand it." It had the entire team in a frenzy, trying to figure out what the words meant this time. Normally they never meant anything, but of course the FBI was adamant about figuring the messages out so they could get _something_ about the Titan Killer. The most recent one, however, was meant for someone: for Levi himself.

The bastard was actually apologizing for making a mess at his crime scenes and acting as if it was the point of dispute in a lover's quarrel. How annoyingly cute.

Levi switched the television to some stupid show about a bunch of single fathers finding love and comfort with each other—or something stupid like that. It was one of his cat's favorite shows (and honestly a guilty pleasure for Levi—he had such a soft spot for good fathers) so he left it on when he left to put in his kill for the week.

It was a woman this time—mother of two and only using them to drain her ex out of his money. She was a terrible mother and an even worse person, using any and everyone she came into contact with. It was lucky that the children's father had the kids for the weekend, and she decided to go get drunk. That left Levi with several hours to break into her house and set up. When the woman got home, Levi had such an easy time getting her into the bathroom, it was pathetic. He lay her down on the tiled floor, next to a container. As she struggled to figure out what was happening, he lit the container and its contents on fire. The flame burned through the plastic quickly, and set off the overhead sprinkler. Levi had rerouted it to a container of  ammonia, so instead of water, the chemical rained down on her and the flame. As it turned out, while bleach isn't flammable, ammonia is somewhat. Interesting—that'd be something he'd have to share with the Titan Killer over dinner.

* * *

 

"You're truly magnificent," the blond cooed. Levi made a noncommittal grunt in response.

"I mean it! You've gotten so creative and have practically leaped out of your comfort zone. I never thought the game would be this fun this quickly."

"I thought the ammonia would've caught quicker, it was pretty lackluster, honestly. How did yours go?"

The two had already decided that once a week was enough since there were two of them and with one, they had more time to make it great.

"The delusional thing actually thought I was going to _rape_ her. It disgusts me to even think she would. What sort of sick, low-intelligent pervert does she take me for?"

"Did," Levi corrected the tenses, and munched on a chicken tender, "And there are a lot of sick people out there."

"Yes, depraved idiots who derive sexual satisfaction from it—they're often the first to devolve, and good thing. We don't need them around longer, giving us bad names, don't you think?" There was a twinkle in those crisp blue eyes and Levi breathed out a "chuckle."

Dinner had grown to be a rather lighthearted and easygoing event with the other killer and once a week, Levi found himself able to relax around another person. He knew that meeting someone like himself was less than a million to one chance, but honestly, he had always thought he'd end up killing a murderer if they got too close. But this man was different; he was charming in the sort of way that one should always keep their guard up around him, but eventually Levi didn't have to. He was the type that could make any conversation interesting, even to someone of few words. He was dangerous and viewed the world differently from everyone, but Levi could clearly see what he did. And while the Titan Killer was a man who could get whatever he wanted while keeping everything hidden and cloaked in lies and half-truths, Levi knew that him wanting his companionship was genuine.

"Can I take you somewhere?" the blond's voice broke into his thoughts and he took a sip of soda.

"Depends on where and why, you shady creep."

The killer let out a laugh that sounded so wonderful to Levi's ears, "I think you know me better than that, Little Bird. I simply want to watch the stars with you."

"How sweet," Levi rolled his eyes, "I know a good building, but I'm not lying on the dirty rooftop."

"I'll get us some blankets and even some snacks to enjoy, how about it?"

"Fine." It sounded like fun. And much better than just going home and sleeping.

* * *

It was a rather tall building, far enough away from all the lights of the busy city, and they met there forty-five minutes later. The blond had brought two thick blankets and a cooler, laying them on the ground as if they were going to be picnicking. The two sat back and the larger man offered Levi a can of soda and a very amused look. The raven took the soda and ignored the face.

"How old are you, Little Bird?"

"Old enough to have a steady job."

The blond chuckled, "But not old enough to drink?"

Levi opened the can with a deadpan expression. "I'm probably older than you are. I just don't like alcohol. It tastes bad and the way it dulls your senses is more than annoying." Taking a drink, and then setting the can aside, he lay back and rest his head in his arms. His charcoal eyes slid shut and the muscular body slowly relaxed in the quiet night. The blankets were an alright cushion on the hard concrete roof, and the blond's humming was a calming tune in the cool night air. It was probably nearing midnight by now, the only close lighting being from the emergency lights on the buildings. There was still too much to clearly see the glow of the numerous stars, but to be able to see any at all was truly a gift. "I like it," he murmured, ignoring the questioning croon from the other. "I miss seeing the stars at night."

"You don't come from a big city, then? The country side?" he didn't ask it pryingly, but Levi still felt annoyed at the question. They had spent a little over three weeks together, doing nothing more than discussing their "game" and "work", never quite revealing much of themselves.

"A rural place. There wasn't a lot of unnatural lighting, and there was a lot more privacy," the Cleaner spoke sharply, and the blond seemed to take the hint.

"I'm so jealous. I've lived in cities since I was young," the voice was wistful and the blue eyes flicked over as Levi scoffed. "What is it?"

"You're a liar. You probably grew up in a big house in the suburbs."

There was something strange about the ensuing silence, something heavier than normal, and as the raven opened his eyes to glance over, his gaze was met by a dark expression, one the Titan Killer had never directed towards him. A strange feeling crept up Levi's spine and he felt pressure in his gut at the look, but his own face never betrayed it. Was he _scared_ of that look? Perhaps, because Levi could never remember being scared, and the prospect of someone giving him that feeling excited him.

"I'm many things, but I am not a liar." The tone was completely serious and had a warning edge to it, which added to the feeling in Levi's belly.

"I see. Forgive me, then," he said carefully and just as quickly as the face appeared, it was gone, along with the sparks it brought with it.

"I will always forgive _you_ , Little Bird," the blond cooed and Levi just pointed his eyes back up to the stars. "I lived a couple blocks away from the city, but yes, for all intents and purposes, it was a rather sizable house in the suburbs. For a while anyway."

"When did you begin travelling?"

"As soon as I was able to secure my job, of course. I was pliable and able to do many things for others, so naturally they give me a long leash. I even made a close friend in my company," he chuckled, and something about the way he said it piqued Levi's curiosity. The emphasis and slight pause of _close friend_ was strange, but although Levi would like to know more, he wouldn't ask. That's probably what the blond wanted anyway.

"I see."

The Titan Killed frowned, "Don't you want to know more?"

"Not really," Levi lied. "But I'll listen."

"How sweet."

The killer had befriended a man with extreme paranoia, who was convinced some of the other men at work were trying to take his job, his house, his money, his wife and his children. Every day, he would watch over his shoulder, convinced every whisper was about him, every conversation a plot to take him out. Ever so persuasive, the blond managed to talk the man into killing the others before they killed him, mostly out of his own amusement, and although he was a little surprised by the accuracy of the man who seemed like he had never _held_ a gun in his life, the Titan Killer was not at all shocked when the man surrendered himself to police after injuring a handful of other people during the murders.

"Did you push his paranoia?" Levi found himself asking in spite of himself, but the blond just chuckled that goddamn chuckle again.

"No, I just said a few encouraging words, and the next day— _blam._ "

A silence fell over them again—comfortable this time—until the larger man shifted closer to the raven. Instead of scooting away, like Levi normally would for any other person, he allowed the other to be nearer, to be so close, they were almost touching.

"Was there anyone you considered close to you, Little Bird?"

Levi pondered that for a moment. There was only one person that came to mind, no one else had ever meant anything to him, and he knew that no one would replace that person in his heart. But was he willing to tell the man that? They certainly had grown closer—he didn't resent the blond's existence or anything negative.

"There was one. Just one. He was always with me, and he made me feel like a human being when he was around."

"Was he older? Younger?"

Levi made a noncommittal grunt.

"What was he like?"

"Perfect."

A frown. The Titan Killer was _frowning_ at him, as if he were displeased with that answer. Levi had never spoken about his special person to anyone, and wasn't sure he was willing to open up about him just yet, pain and memories still fresh.

"What happened to him—did he abandon you, Little Bird? Or maybe set you fr—"

Levi sat up quickly and whirled to face the blond, wearing a dark, menacing expression. In the back of his mind, he recalled the other making that face at him, and figured he probably really struck a nerve calling him a liar if _this_ was the intense rage he felt at that time.

"He would never. _Ever_. Abandon me," he said with a cold fury.

The crisp blue eyes were wide with astonishment. Levi had never gotten angry with him—he never really emoted much to begin with, but this was definitely new. The two realized at the same time that they had grown comfortable enough with each other to actually express real emotions.

"Forgive me for the assumption." A peculiar smile found its way onto the handsome face, "Did he die, then?"

"That's right," Levi confirmed, and pushed himself up. Standing, he looked down at the other whose face betrayed mild disappointment. "I have work in the morning, so I should go home. I'll see you next week." Without waiting for a response, he walked to the door to the stairwell, once again leaving the Titan Killer.

It made Levi apprehensive, actually becoming close to someone. A serial killer was an even worse person to reveal secrets and personal, private thoughts to, but there was something about the Titan Killer that made Levi actually believe he was genuine. It was a dangerous gamble, but Levi's job _counted_ on him being able to observe and tell if people were good or bad, liars or honest, miscreants or morality beacons. Even if the other was a man who was able to charm the scales off a snake, Levi could tell that he was letting the raven in, slowly and reluctantly. And Levi had begun to let him in just the same.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My brother named this chapter.  
> He didn't read it, I literally summarized it in five seconds and this is what we got from it.  
> Apparently I should be making the dinner aspect the focal point of the story. Forget the serial killer stuff: How does the Titan Killer like his steak cooked? Does he take multivitamins? Does he even like corn?
> 
> Medium rare, yes and yes, in case you were wondering. He lightly butters and salts the corn for a bit of flavor. He's a classy bitch.


	3. Stream of Consciousness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was one month, two weeks and three days since the first day they had officially started their game, but Levi hadn't been counting. He just happened to remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few dreams and good company. Luckily, it didn't take too long to come up with a chapter title for this one (and I didn't even have to ask my brother this time!)

_It was chilly out, not cold enough for more than sweatshirts, but cold enough for the wind to really **bite** sometimes. The little boy ignored it as he pattered through the yard, leaves crunching under his feet as he made his way to the shed where his father often disappeared to. His mother would often yell at him for spending most of his time out or in the shed. She accused him of "gambling" and "buying and using" and "picking up girls" none of the terms being familiar to the child. They all sounded bad, but he knew his father wasn't bad, so his mother must have just been overreacting. She often did that, even yelling at the poor boy for not playing with his toys "properly"—often breaking them in displeasure or taking them apart as if he were dissecting them. When he first got them, he would fill up the one of the sinks with bleach or strong disinfectant and soak the toys, claiming they were "dirty". He also didn't get along with others, scaring the neighborhood children with his monotonous voice and blank expression—traits he had certainly inherited from his father. She bemoaned not having a "normal" son and blamed the boy's father for his strange behavior, but the raven haired man ignored her every time. Only this time, he seemed angry at her. _

_"He's a strange and creepy little kid!" she had screamed, "He gets it from you! He's always trying to clean everything and be sterile, just like you! You both have issues!" Her light red, shoulder length bob bounced as she shook her head, her amber eyes burning furiously. She had wanted to take their son to see a doctor since he started emulating his father’s behaviors, but the man never saw anything wrong with the boy._

_"You never had any issues with my cleaning," his father's voice was lower, he hardly yelled, it was just a deep, menacing growl, "But suddenly we're freaks."_

_He had looked so angry, so coldly angry, but it hadn't scared his son. He noticed the wrinkles around his father's eyes deepen when he glared, making him look older, more stern. His mother tried to storm out of the house, but his father went after her. The child just went to go clean his room—maybe that would make his father happy when he returned, he had thought. He was always so happy when things were clean._

_The shed was unlocked for once—he didn't have to knock to get his father's attention, so he just went right in, horrid smell wafting through the air. He crinkled his nose, but it wasn't too unfamiliar, just strong. His father was hunched over the long metal work table, black undercut concealed by a white kerchief stained with red blotches. The man also had one tied around his face, much like when he cleaned the house. "To keep myself from becoming stained and filthy from those around me while I clean," he would always say._

_"Daddy?" the little boy rubbed his eyes, staring up as his father stiffened. Slowly, he turned his face to his son, charcoal eyes widening in surprise and horror. The two stared at one another for a moment, a flicker of pain flashing in the father's eyes._

_"I told you not to bother me out here," he hid his right arm behind his back until he knelt down to his son, wrapping both bloodstained arms around the child._

_"I know," the boy said, unmoving, even as he felt something cold, thin and hard on his back, "But I was just getting hungry." He looked at the blood on his father's hoodie, not minding it because it was a very old shirt anyway. A little hand reached up and clutched the front of the sweatshirt and the boy leaned into his father's shoulder—into the hug. It was warm. "What's for dinner, Daddy?"_

_There was silence for a few moments until his father put what was in his hand behind him and put his hands on his son's shoulders. "I'll be inside to make you dinner after I get cleaned up, alright? You go pack up your things in the meantime; we're going to be staying with a friend of Daddy's, alright?"_

_"Okay," the boy let go of his father's hoodie and pattered back out into the backyard and into the house. He hoped they would have chicken nuggets._

* * *

 

"Do you like children?"

The blue eyes swept over the smaller man's face, caught off guard a bit by the question. "Children? I suppose I haven't thought about it. They can be bratty and annoying, but that's just how they are, right?" He paused as if thinking of something and Levi looked into his eyes expectantly. "Little Bird, are you asking if I want to have children with you?"

"I'm asking if you've ever killed a child." The man would always somehow turn whatever Levi said into a joke about whatever imagined relationship they had in his mind. Or at least pretended to imagine; it was all obviously just the Titan Killer joking around with him, and since he knew it was to get a reaction that was exactly what Levi would not give him.

"Ah, well I've killed eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds. Do you count them?"

Levi pondered a moment. Eighteen was considered an adult, but honestly what normal eighteen year old _acted_ like one for the majority of the time? The raven did, however, believe that they make conscientious decisions regarding moral situations, whether or not they weighed the possible outcomes beforehand. Perhaps sixteen to twenty was a bit rocky in terms of whether or not one could be held totally accountable for mistakes, but if they were repeat offenders, they were able to be considered filth just as much as a thirty year old or a twenty six year old or fifty.

"They were little terrors, if that helps."

"If they deserved it, then it's fine."

"Why, Little Bird? Do you like children?"

"Yes."

Children were precious to Levi, at the very least in theory. They were so impressionable and they depended so much on others. Innocence was something they all had, something that only other people _—_ filthy people _—_ could take away from them. Some kids were mean, sure; bullies and just cruel, but it was because they learned from the scumbags around them, the insecure pieces of trash that didn't deserve to have such wonderful treasures. "Children can only be held accountable for their actions to a certain point. What they do is learned, and if it's wrong, it's hardly their fault, it would just be harder for them to break the habit, the cycle. Once they get old enough to realize their decisions, it's up to them to choose whether they are going to be one of the beautiful people that I'm going to protect, or one of the trash that I'm going to take out."

"I see..." the blond looked at him thoughtfully, with a small smile. "Well don't worry, I've never harmed a child. That never seemed very interesting to me."

Levi nodded, accepting that.

**

When dinner was done, Levi lingered outside of the restaurant with the other killer. It was one month, two weeks and three days since the first day they had officially started their game, but Levi hadn't been counting. He just happened to remember.

"Would you like to come over?"

He blurted it out like it was a spur of the moment request, but he had been thinking about it all week, and all through dinner. By this time, Levi was sure he considered the man a friend, seeing as he was the closest person Levi had had since before his most important person died. The blond evidently didn't see it coming, if the stunned expression was any indication. But eventually he nodded and flashed Levi a pearly smile.

"I'd love to. But I have some business to take care of, would you mind if I showed up a bit late?"

Levi slowly nodded and walked away without another word. It was actually a relief—he could make sure his house was neat for his guest, and make sure his home's true owner was out. He shuddered to think of him being angry for bringing someone back without asking first.

**

The apartment was clear, no sign of the other. Levi let out a sigh and began to straighten up and wondered if he should close and lock the doors and windows. No, that would just make _him_ angrier. The couch was clean, the television dusted, the floors swept and most of the walls scrubbed, and it was an hour and nine minutes since they parted ways that the Titan Killer was knocking on his door.

A vague remembrance of _I never told him where I lived_ crossed his mind, but he could have laughed it away. After all, he knew where the blond lived as well. The two kept light tabs on each other, not maliciously of course, but curiously. The Titan Killer made his home in a cozy apartment in the better side of town. His neighbors were never home, which hardly mattered since all he did while he was home was sleep, so no one thought him weird for not socializing.

In contrast, Levi's dingy rundown place was much less savory, grime and dust and other things the raven would rather not think about caking the walls and floors, inside and out. Lowlifes and petty criminals took up residence around him, but they mostly stuck to the lower levels. Levi actually took the top apartment, the biggest and best one. It overlooked part of the city and perched high above the filth below him—fitting to him. It actually belonged to the landlord, but the two...worked out a deal.

"Little Bird," the blond greeted with a smile. He held out a bottle of wine for Levi to take, "Forgive me for my lateness; I brought this gift to make up for it."

Levi took the bottle with a small hum and invited the other in. As his guest surveyed his home, Levi searched the cabinets for two wine glasses and poured each full. He hated the taste of alcohol, but he had a feeling he would like this one. It was probably sweet and it certainly smelled pleasant. He gave a wry smile to the glasses before wiping it away and bringing the drinks out to the living room, where the blond was sitting on the couch, intent on making himself at home.

"You seem tense, Little Bird, what's the matter?"

"I just don't want him coming in and finding you," Levi said simply, drinking from his glass of wine.

"Hm? And who would that be?"

"Don't worry about it. Just know you don't wish to meet him."

The blond frowned in obvious displeasure and Levi felt a swell of satisfaction for a reason he couldn't quite place. He thought it was because he had thoroughly confused the other killer, but he didn't think it could be quite that. Because he couldn't understand it, he decided to ignore it as it didn't seem too important.

"So," the blond obviously didn't want to talk about " _him_ " anymore, "Why did you invite me over, Little Bird?"

"I wanted to keep talking, and I didn't want to lie on a rooftop to continue." Talking to the other was one of the things Levi looked forward to each week, and he honestly wanted more time with him, more of his attention. "So what did you have to do before coming?"

"Ah, you're so sweet. I was just making sure my next submission was ready, that's all. I think you'll like it."

"Always three steps ahead, aren't you? You focus too much on work, you should relax more," Levi teased, wine making him feel playful. He didn't move away or react much when the other scooted closer to him on the couch, nor when he put his arm around the back, hand nearly brushing the black bangs.

"It's quite the endeavor, working to impress you. I simply can't afford to relax when I haven't won you over yet." There was a mischievous glint in his eye. It wasn't malicious or even completely serious. More aggressively flirtatious. "Unless I have. Tell me, Little Bird, are you feeling the tugging of your heart? Is it telling you to run to me, begging to be loved?" A large hand brushed stray locks out of Levi's face, tucking them behind his ear. One of the fingers then gently traced the raven's jaw down to his chin, before sliding its way up over his lips and pressing softly on the tip of his nose with a playful _boop_.

"Who knows. We don't even know each other's names," Levi rubbed his nose, feigning irritability.

"That doesn't mean we can't be in love."

"You're a sociopath."

"Meaningless. Sociopaths can love with a selfish intensity that no one could ever hope to match. Desires to have and own the object of affections, isn’t that a part of some form of love?"

Levi gave a grunt and took another drink, effectively draining the glass. It was then he noticed that the Titan Killer hadn't once lifted the glass to his lips, but he didn't tense or grow angry like he normally would have. He simply stared at the other who smiled back serenely. The words were eerily timed for something like this to occur, but Levi didn’t feel worried. _I wonder if he would do something. I'd think not, I'm normally such a good judge of character._

"Feeling alright there, Little Bird?"

"Yes, just confused." The blond looked at him with concern in those crisp blue eyes. "It's nothing, take a drink." Levi let his eyes open and close slowly as the other man began to hum.

* * *

 

_"I know it smells bad, but you get used to it. Careful you don't burn off your eyebrows, though," the raven laughed, pouring bleach into a small tub. He looked over at his son, who was watching attentively. "Why don't you see how our 'guest' is doing? I'm just going to get a rag for this and I'll be there in a moment."_

_"Okay, Daddy."_

_The ten year old slinked into the next room, where there was a woman bound to a chair. He walked over and took the cloth from her mouth, grimacing at the saliva._

_"O-oh thank god, kid, you gotta help me!" she whispered loudly, "Untie me!"_

_"Daddy wouldn't like that."_

_"Please, your daddy will understand, just please help me, please. W-where's your mommy? She'd want you to help me!"_

_"Mommy's gone," he blinked a few times. He felt a twinge of annoyance. Sure, he was only ten, but he was smart—it was obvious she was trying to use him to help herself go free, but wasn't some child to be used, "I think Daddy killed her. She yelled a lot at him and me. But it's okay now." If this woman was going to act like he was a helpless child, why not play along?  She was filth to be cleaned anyway, what was the harm? "She never hugged me, you know... But Daddy hugs me all the time and says I'm a good boy because I listen. Do you listen, miss? Are you a good girl? 'Cause Daddy doesn't hurt good girls and boys."_

_"Yes, oh my god, I'm a good girl, please just let me out."_

_"Were you ever bad? Did you hurt people? Daddy likes taking the ones that hurt people, they make this world icky." **icky**. He wondered if children his age used that word—it seemed like something a child with simple speech would say._

_"I never hurt anybody!"_

_"Okay," he began to loosen the ropes, "You have to promise not to run or be mean."_

_"I promise, I promise!" the little boy loosened the ropes more and the woman struggled to get out of them. He nodded at the figure in the doorway before the binds came off and the woman practically shoved the boy, trying to get away._

_"You lied," he sulked._

_"They always do, sweetheart," his father pet his head and gave him a pair of gloves and kerchiefs to wear. "Here, we're going to wash her." As he put on the items, his father put the woman back into the chair. She went kicking and screaming the whole way, but he was stronger than her, no matter how small he was. The woman was actually a whole head taller than him but the boy knew that most people were taller than his father. They often underestimated his strength—the boy was convinced that his father was the strongest man alive—just as the woman underestimated the duo. It hardly mattered, the only way out was the opposite direction she was headed anyway. Silly girl._

_Together, they washed the woman with the tub of bleach, scrubbing her skin raw, not stopping until after it blistered and bled from the chemicals and rags. Her muffled screams never reached out of the room, and suddenly, the man stood up, contemplation in his haunting, dark grey eyes._

_"Son, let me teach you how to drain."_

_The boy nodded and watched carefully as his father cut an incision in the woman and stuck a tube into the hole, letting the blood travel through it and into the now empty tub of bleach. After a while, she paled, then passed out, and soon enough, she stopped breathing._

_"I get it," he said, and his father hoisted him up, kissing his cheek._

_"I knew you would. Come on then, after we clean up, we can make dinner together."_

_“Okay, Daddy."_

* * *

 

Levi's eyes opened, and he registered he was leaning on something warm and facing his television, which was on. He blinked a few times and stifled a yawn. Had he really fallen asleep after one glass of wine? He noticed two empty glasses on the coffee table in front of him, and he registered that the other killer probably had drank out of his own glass, so there was probably nothing in the bottle other than wine. His body was just tired, and he had been so relaxed, he concluded. He hadn't slept much for a few days, stalking his prey every night until he struck, so it left him a little worn out.

"Did you sleep well?" The blond was still in his house—in fact, that's what he had been sleeping against. Levi quickly sprang away from the other, recoiling to the arm of the couch.  A light smile touched both the lips and blue eyes. He wasn't offended—the Titan Killer thought his reaction was _cute_. "You were only out for about ten minutes. You sleep so peacefully, Little Bird. I promise I didn't do anything sick or perverted. You trust me, don't you?"

"You need to leave." The smile faded. The blond was no longer amused, he actually seemed a bit affronted. "I don't think you did anything, you just can't be here when he gets back," Levi explained, "You can come back tomorrow, just hurry up and get out."

Before the blond could say anything, the Cleaner pulled him up and rushed him out the door, swiftly closing, locking and dead bolting it. It was almost midnight—Levi had less than fifteen minutes to clean up any signs of another person being in the house with him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is "he" and why is Levi so afraid of him? Just how long HAS Levi been a killer, and will he ever tell Erwin just HOW important his "most important person" was to him? Find out next time (maybe.)
> 
> Also, thank you all so much for your love. I'm elated that you guys are like reading it, and it makes me wanna get a new chapter written everyday! (unfortunately, that's not possible, but that's ok, I'm going at a good pace I think).  
> Your kudos and comments are always appreciated, so thank you!


	4. Pervert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titan Killer—infamous for crazed psychopathic behavior and terrorizing any city he so chooses to reside in—was sitting in his living room, on his couch, trying to feed him Chinese food.

A little past one in the morning, Levi finished cleaning and went to bed without waiting up for _him_. The raven knew he would come in and eat and probably sleep for the few hours before Levi woke up and be gone again before the sunrise. Hopefully, he wouldn't come in to yell at Levi, just _knowing_ someone had been in his house.

After about an hour, and Levi still couldn't fall asleep—it was probably the short nap he had slipped into earlier as well as his nerves. Around 2:30, he heard the other occupant enter the house and walk around for what felt like hours. Soon, the footsteps ceased, and Levi felt himself relaxing, eyes finally feeling heavy enough to drift off. He didn't even flinch when the door opened and the other made himself comfortable behind him. The two slept peacefully until sunrise.

**

"Please! Somebody help me! Please—oh _god_." The struggling was fine, Levi knew the man wouldn't be able to get free, but the noise was so irksome. No one would hear and all it was accomplishing was giving the raven a headache. He messed with the cloth around his face, years of habit perfecting his ability to tie them quickly and properly without much thought—mostly muscle memory.

"I could just leave you here to starve to death and dehydrate, pig. Though I guess you'd just start going through withdraw and lose the will to live first, wouldn't you? How many children did you end up hospitalizing while you were driving high off your shit?" After so long of dealing with the filth of the world, Levi didn't even have it in him to be condescending anymore. He was mostly just a mixture of sad, disappointed and disgusted.

"It was only two! And they were fine! I—"

"Six children. Two were ten years old, one was eleven years old, two were nine and one was four. I hear the youngest just celebrated her fifth birthday in the hospital. Still connected to all those wires, but at least she can breathe without assistance now. Isn't that good to hear?"

The man whimpered and opened his mouth to cry out again in fear, but Levi spooned bleach into his mouth as soon as he did. The killer took the time the man was coughing and sputtering to tell him exactly why he was lower than dirt. Sometimes words aided in teaching and punishing fools—after all, people put such stock into other people's words and opinions.

"You're selfish. And blind. You go around, day and night doing as you please, not even realizing what you're doing. Walking among other who are none the wiser to your disgusting habits and ways of life. What do you think people are? What do you think they are on this earth for? Just meaningless background noise and collateral damage? That when you hurt them, it's just unfortunate happenings that you shouldn't be held responsible for? Who exactly is supposed to take the responsibility from you? It's all you. Your fault—your responsibility. You need to understand that you are disgusting, utterly useless and harmful trash. People like you can't even be considered human beings anymore, and that it's my job to protect others from your destructive habits."

All the while, he mixed ammonia in with the container of bleach and stirred, the victim's eyes watching raptly as the spoon was stirred around and around. Levi sighed and shook his head. He poured the mixture over the man's head, ignoring the shivering and whining.

"Hey, you look like you're really sorry for what you've done. Could it be that you regret hurting others time and again?"

"I am! I'm sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone! I swear it, I do wish I could take it all back!"

"That's good to hear. I only destroy unrepentant filth that will just go back and do it all again if they aren't stopped." The idiot looked relieved, honestly thinking that Levi was talking about him. "I watch for some time. Get to know them. See if they are able to change, or if they'll just say they will to escape certain death." The Cleaner brushed the damp hair away from the man's forehead and pat his head almost affectionately. "But you know. You're a lot less disgusting than some of the other's I've had to deal with. I'd like to show you something, if that's alright."

The man shuddered and with tears cascading, agreed to whatever it was that Levi wanted. The raven took a moment to set up, setting out a tube and bucket, as well as several cutting implements.

"I'm going to teach you how to drain."

* * *

 

"You're early." Levi blinked up at the blond, who was holding out another bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers in front of his apartment.

"I couldn't wait to see you, Little Bird," was the only response along with a grin. Levi made a noncommittal grunt.

"Come in then. It's a mess, but I didn't have much time to clean. I just got home myself."

The Titan Killer swaggered in and Levi got a vase and filled it with water for the flowers. There were half a dozen red roses and half a dozen white carnations—Levi's favorites. He made no indication of his happiness, however and simply placed the vase on the counter. He was more concerned on how he would explain where the plants had come from later on, but he really liked the flowers—he wanted to keep them.

"So, what will we do tonight, Little Bird? Just relax and have another chat? Or perhaps you wanted to make me dinner? That sounds absolutely lovely."

"I'm not making anything. If you're hungry, order something." He rummaged through the drawer by the refrigerator and fished out some menus, tossing them to the other. "Just don't overdo it. And tell me where you're ordering from."

"How about Chinese?" the blond held the menu up for Levi to see, "They deliver rather quickly. How about I order?"

With a nod, Levi scanned the menu and wrote down a couple of things to the other to place as an order. He decided to go ahead and clean up around the apartment despite the protests that it was immaculate.

"Do you eat this much all the time? Or have you not eaten all day?"

"It's not all for me." Without much to actually clean—since that was all done the night before—he fiddled with the flower vase, the white and red popping against the green of the leaves. "I'll pay for what I'm getting, though, don't worry about it."

"Oh, no no no, you invited me over here again even though it's evident you don't want anyone in your home. Paying for you is the least I can do to thank you." Levi couldn't figure out what the other was up to, always wanting to pay for things and bringing him gifts. He couldn't tell if it was to curry favor or if he just honestly wanted to be the one to pay. Perhaps it was a part of a lesser game he was playing and his part was the chivalrous gentleman.

"You're not winning any affection, you know."

"Not my intention, Little Bird."

*

Levi realized he didn't hate the way the Titan Killer ate. The blond chewed with his mouth closed and didn't wolf down his food as if he were going to die. When he slurped his lo mien, he brought the plate closer to his face and made sure to do it without making a mess, although the sauce did dribble down his chin every so often and he swiped it away with an apologetic smile, as if it bothered Levi. The raven tried to ignore him as he nibbled away at his crab and cheese wontons, the buttery fried dumpling mingling with the sweet taste of crab, so soft in his mouth, he hardly had to chew. Both killers paid no mind to the container of boneless spare ribs, although the lid could hardly keep the smell of the savory pork contained, neither having to say to leave them alone. The meat was for _him_ , and even if the blond didn't know who that was exactly, he knew that Levi would not want to talk about it.

Levi opened his mouth to say something when the other's chopsticks came dangerously close to it, and he quickly shut his lips. He gave a warning glare, but the blond just smiled.

"Would you like to try some? It's called _Happy Family_ and it's positively delicious."

It was almost creepy, the way he said Happy Family, but a lot of what he did was creepy and Levi didn't mind. "What's in it?"

"Ahhh, lobster and shrimp, scallops, beef, chicken, pork, veggies. A plethora of good food, there's bound to be something you like, here." He held the chopsticks out, not moving even as Levi stayed completely still.

The Titan Killer—infamous for crazed psychopathic behavior and terrorizing any city he so chooses to reside in—was sitting in his living room, on his couch, trying to feed him Chinese food. And he wasn't shying away or even disgusted. Tentatively, he leaned forward a bit and nipped at the food, the rush of flavors invading his tongue. The tang of the sauce on the soft, succulent lobster meat nearly made him sigh. It wasn't high-end, five-star restaurant lobster, but Levi didn't often eat it, so he thought it was pretty good, and the name of the dish definitely appealed to his more silly side. "Happy Family. It's good."

"I knew you'd like it, Little Bird."

"I feel like I should be giving you a nickname as well, you call me that so often."

"Ahh, that sounds wonderful. I can't wait to see what you'd come up with." The blond ran his free hand over Levi's head, petting him gently with an unbelievably soft smile to match.  "I'm sure it would be especially beautiful coming from your lips." He swiped his thumb quickly over Levi's pink lips as if to emphasize his point in some way.

"How about 'Pervert', then?"

The Titan Killer froze, his hand still on Levi's jaw and stared at the raven as if he didn't quite hear what he had said. It was amusing, and Levi wanted to laugh, but bit it back and held the blond's gaze. "It's a lot better than 'TK' and I think it's more fitting, don't you?"

"... _Pervert_....? How exactly...?"

"That's a silly question. But I like it, I think I'm going to keep it."

"If this is your way of telling me that you want me to tone down the flirting, you don't have to be so cruel about it."

"No, you're just a pervert. So it's alright. Some people like to be affectionate, some like to distance themselves. Some like to shroud themselves in their own fantasy world where they and the object of their obsession are madly in love and some just happen to like and do perverted things, and project their perverted tendencies onto others. It's not in my place to judge you on the things you like, Pervert."

The two killers looked at one another for a long minute until the blond burst into laughter and Levi's lips twitched and broke into a grin as he was barely able to hold back his own laughter. The air was light and pleasant between them, and they decided to watch TV while they finished their meal instead of just chatting more. Comfortable silence fit them best at this point—no secrets threatening to spill, no risking slipping up and saying the wrong thing. Just enjoyment that there was just one person in the world to sit next to and just understand.

For an hour, they watched a made-for-TV movie, laughing at the ridiculousness of it, sipped wine and picked at the rest of their meal. When the movie got to a particularly gross scene of the main character and her love interest locking lips and fervently kissing, Levi thought it a good idea to start clearing his coffee table of the food. He put the spare ribs onto a plate and left it on the counter and wrapped up everything else. The Titan Killer's leftovers were set aside, but the blond shook his head, telling Levi to keep them. With a nod, Levi put them all into the fridge and sat back on the couch next to the other.

"They're still making out? It's been ten minutes."

"Inspiring, isn't it, Little Bird?" the blond rested his arm behind Levi and his fingers ghosted over his long black hair. "Why do you keep your hair so long?" he asked when Levi ignored him.

"It used to be shorter, but I just stopped cutting it. Why, you don't like it?"

"You look creepy, Little Bird. Like the girl from The Grudge."

"It's out of my face."

"I love it."

"Pervert."

They shifted closer, until Levi could feel the heat coming off the other's side. Levi could feel himself instinctively moving toward the warmth, and would catch himself before he got too close. Suddenly, he tensed. There had been a slight noise, and his eyes whipped to find the time. Eleven forty eight— _he_ was home early. Levi jumped up, dragging the blond toward the door.

"You need to _leave_ ," he whispered urgently, rushing to unlock and open the door.

"But—"

"No, just go." The blond was outside in the hall, and Levi heard shuffling in his bedroom. _He_ must've come in through the window this time, Levi wished he'd be more consistent. Taking a piece of paper from the counter, he jotted a few things down and tore the scrap from the pad, shoving it into the Titan Killer's hands. "It's... It's my number—you can call me later," he said when he saw the confused expression, "Just wait until sunrise."

He closed the door in the other's face and locked it. With a sigh, he went to heat up the plate of spare ribs and set them back out before scurrying into the bathroom for a shower. He figured _he_ wouldn't mind that he left the television on, and would just change the channel.

Levi hated close calls, but with the Titan Killer, things like this seemed to add a bit of thrill and adventure, and knowing that, the raven couldn't tell if he was more worried or excited.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, sorry, this one's a bit shorter than the rest, but I have a lot more to tell about Levi and "Him"  
> You'll find out by chapter 6 who "he" is and I think otherwise you'll really like 6~  
> Thanks again for all of the kudos and just for reading! It makes me really happy and inspired, so <3


	5. A Mind Beside Itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't see it as murder. It was self-defense, wasn't it? Anyway, don't be so self-centered--we aren't here to talk about you. This is about a problem I'm having and I need some advice."

Books always helped him relax, especially when he would get wound up. A nice cup of hot tea on his nightstand, and a stupid romance novel that he hadn't read since his son was born, Nile could already feel himself calming down. His medicine was probably kicking in. He curled up under the comforter and turned the page, trying to imagine the heroine's world, put himself in her shoes as she searches for her father's old war buddy to uncover clues about his disappearance. They already met the first of three love interests; honestly he was the one who got the best character development, and although Nile knew who she would eventually choose, he couldn't fight the fondness he had for the character.

Thinking about it now, the character reminded the man of his caretaker—a kindhearted, dedicated cop with fiery red hair and a sort of stubbornness to match. Bo Weismann had taken him in after that certain incident over three years ago, and treated him gently, and Nile was eternally grateful. If it weren't for Bo, he wouldn't have been able to recover as quickly and he certainly wouldn't be able to see his children. The man had helped Nile help himself and never asked for anything in return. He made sure Nile took his medicine twice a day, and got him up in the morning to eat breakfast together. He checked in to see how Nile was feeling and offered an ear to listen, and he let Nile read and write as often as he wanted. He talked about his day—Nile loved when he talked, the freckles under his lips moved in a delightful way, especially when he laughed—and even shared inside jokes.

Nile was a recovering patient and even before, friendship was one of the hardest things for him to come by. There weren't many opportunities for him to build new bonds nowadays. He hated to leave Bo's home in fear that those terrible feelings would come back and consume him and he would end up hurting someone. The redhead always assured him that he'd be fine, that he would be by his side every step of the way, that there was no way those thought would come to pester him. For the most part, Bo was right; whenever they would take Nile's children out for supervised visits, the beardy man never so much had a thought or desire that was negative. All of his thoughts were on his perfect, precious children.

He was more relaxed now, the book beginning to pick up with the romantic plot and the light breeze coming from the window felt nice and—Nile could have sworn that window was closed.

 _I must be imagining things, that's all._ He stood and placed his book next to his tea, moving to the window and placing his hands at the top of the frame to shut it. The house was only one story, and Bo liked all of the windows and doors closed and locked at night. Being a police officer made him take all precautions necessary, especially now with another person living in his house.

Before it moved even an inch, the dark-haired man tensed. There was definitely something wrong. As he went to turn around, a large hand clamped over his mouth and an arm wrapped around him, lifting him up off the floor slightly.

" _Shhh_ , Nile, you wouldn't want to wake sweet Weismann up, would you? He has work in the morning. Don't be a burden," a deep voice whispered in his ear as he struggled. He knew that voice. He knew it for a long time, too many years has this voice come to bother him, the voice encouraging his behavior, telling him to just _do it._ He went limp in the other man's arms until the grip loosened and he tore himself away, whipping around to see. If he hadn't taken his medicine, he never would have believed any of this was real. The man really was standing in his bedroom, clad in a dark blue sweater and black pants, blond hair combed neatly, creepy smile plastered on his conventionally handsome face.

"What do you want?"

"I came for a little chat. Truly, this time," the blue eyes darkened as Nile eyed him suspiciously and didn't move. "Honestly, Nile. You're worried for nothing. I'm hurt! We're supposed to be close!" The hand that had covered his mouth before reached out and gripped his arm, and he was thrown onto his bed. The other man sat down cross-legged at the foot of the bed, facing Nile.

"I'm not going to listen to you this time. Bo says you aren't real—"

"That's because Bo never met me. Bo wasn't there four years ago when you were having problems at work. Bo didn't know about your condition. Bo didn't help you solve your problem."

"Solve my problem? I _murdered_ six people, you son of a bitch!" he momentarily forgot himself and shouted, but luckily it was one in the morning and Bo could be a heavy sleeper when he had had a long day.

"I don't see it as murder. It was self-defense, wasn't it? Anyway, don't be so self-centered—we aren't here to talk about you. This is about a problem _I'm_ having and I need some advice."

"Y-you need _my_ advice?"

"You were married before, Nile."

After some hesitation, the man reluctantly agreed to listen, "What is it?"

"There's someone I'm quite fond of. This hasn't really ever happened to me before, so some things are a bit more difficult for me to handle. But there's someone living with them, someone that they talk about often, but won't tell me who they are or what their relationship is. And there's just something very suspicious about it, especially when they get jumpy at the thought of this person."

"So...you're worried about them? Well if it's really bad, they have the right to step away from a toxic sort of relationship, no matter who it's with, but they just might be scared to. And believe there's not enough incentive to leave, or that they somehow deserve the treatment." Nile thought for a moment more, wondering if that were the case. "Are you asking how to convince them to leave this person?"

"No, of course not, you misunderstand. I'm asking when you think would be a good time to get rid of them. It's completely unacceptable for anyone to lay a hand on my Little Bird, and to have him be so apprehensive is appalling. You got rid of your competition, how do you think I should handle this?"

Nile froze. Without thinking much about what he was doing, he picked up his book from beside his tea and chucked it at the blond's head. "Fuck you. They weren't my competition, I wasn't in a right state of mind, and if you kill someone that your 'Little Bird' loves or thinks he loves, he's going to resent you."

The other man pondered those words, obviously not wanting his _Little Bird_ to hate him. "Then what should I do?"

"Well it's blatant you care about this man, and are jealous and upset at the way someone else has an effect on him, so you have to talk to him about it and go from there. You can't just decide these things on your own. It's something the both of you should figure out. Does he feel the same about you?"

"I believe so," he didn't hesitate, but Nile thought he could hear a small trace of uncertainty. It was strange, the man in front of him was, by nature, confident in himself and his ability to read others, and to have doubt was likely a scary thing.

"Then make sure to keep it that way, and work it out together. It's really all you can do, right?"

The blond gave a bright smile and nodded, "Yes, of course. Thank you, Nile. You've been such a big help."

"My pleasure," Nile said politely and habitually, scratching idly at his stubble. He grew more nervous when the other didn't move to leave. He got the advice he was looking for—what more did he want?

Sounds of crickets and other bugs chirping and talking noisily filled the room along with the ticking of Nile's alarm clock that he never knew could be so loud. It was something that was consistent and helped him sleep, but now it only echoed his thunderous heartbeat. Although he knew he was safe and would not be harmed, Nile still felt anxious having a serial killer sitting on his bed, even if they were just _casually_ chatting.

"Is there any advice I can give you to return the favor?" A teasing smirk. He was referring to Bo, probably, Nile knew.

"Yeah, how do I tell him that a murderer comes to me and torments me every so often?" He had long ago given up trying, no one ever listened, and it wasn't as if people (who weren't attention seekers) would ever really claim to know the Titan Killer. Bo had told him that there was no way a killer of that notoriety would ever come and speak to him so long as he was there, but the only times the blond would show up were when the freckled man was at work or asleep. Nile supposed he didn't really mind—other than hurting people, ending their lives and terrorizing the country, the Titan Killer really was the closest thing he had to a friend. He also supposed he truly was desperately lonely.

"Maybe you should stick by his side more often, so I can't bother you, then."

"He's sleeping right now—am I just supposed to go curl up with him because you're here?"

"I won't touch your stuff."

"Please leave."

With a huffy laugh, the killer stood up and nodded his head politely at his gracious host. He said a quick goodbye before making his exit out of the window and into the shadows of the night. Nile shut and made absolute sure he locked the window before pulling the curtains shut. Why did his life have to end up like this? Why did the Titan Killer choose _him_ of all people to be "best friends" with?

Nile had a respectable life once. A beautiful wife and the most gorgeous children, a sizeable home and a decent job. He'd never get any of those back, save for seeing his children every so often, but it wasn't the same. He wanted to raise them, they were the only things worth anything to him anymore outside of the house he now called home. It wasn't right to place even most of the blame on the blond killer, he knew, but he also knew the blue eyed devil encouraged him for his own amusement.

_It's in the past now. Bo's helping me get myself together. That's what's important._

Nile would never be able to make up for his past, but he could still keep living.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I was going to put off introducing Nile, but I figured--hey. Why not show the Titan Killer through someone else's eyes, since Levi's feelings toward him are different than Nile's. And you get to see how good ole TK feels about Levi, as if it weren't obvious. I thought this chapter was funny, I'm sorry if it isn't. I laughed, though, so...
> 
> If it wasn't blatant, I'm planning on portraying Nile as a super closeted gay man. Because I want to. So every time Marie is mentioned, he will probably bring up how in love he was with her and how beautiful and attractive she is/was. Super. Duer. Closeted. What better way to get that across (without going into erunairi love triangle territory) than to give him a sexy freckled/redhead OC for lovins? Any other questions?  
> Speaking of which, I hope that if you laughed every time I wrote Bo's name, you feel bad because he prefers that over his real name "Beauregard", even if "Bo" makes him sound like a hick. (no you can chuckle. I do, too, and I gave him the name.)
> 
> We'll get back to Levi now, though, and the mysterious "HE" that I apologize in advance for. Once again, I think I'm funny, but I might just have a weird sense of humor. (if you must hurt someone, look toward the13thCommander who ENCOURAGES MY BEHAVIOUR)


	6. Mise en Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're too adorable for words, you know. My precious Little Bird. <3"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm telling you now, my sense of humor is shit. And I'm sorry.
> 
> But I'm not. Because I'm funny. Enjoy your chapter. It's been a LONG time coming.  
> Also back to the silly chapter titles.

Nine thirty in the morning, Levi's phone buzzed from his table and clattered onto the floor. With mild annoyance, he swooped down to pick it up, expecting a text message from his boss or a coworker asking about a project—they were the only ones to ever really bother him—but he was instead met with an unknown number flashing, telling him he was being called. Charcoal eyes narrowed and he pressed the button, answering.

"Good morning, Little Bird," the dulcet tones of Levi's favorite killer hummed through the phone into his ear. "The sun's up, did I catch a good time?"

"You actually waited until a time after sunrise."

"Is that surprising?"

"No. What do you want?"

Of course instead of an answer, he got that goddamn chuckle. It sounded a bit hoarse to Levi, like the other had recently woken up, and was just lying in bed. It was a Friday, but maybe he didn't have work—Levi had the day off, so it wasn't out of the question. It still didn't mean he had to sleep in and bother Levi while he was going about his morning routine. Granted, Levi didn't _have_ to answer, but he had to admit he was hoping it was the blond calling anyway.

"I just wanted to talk to you. Are you busy?"

"I'm cleaning, trying to get the smell out you out of my couch and wash barbeque sauce from these plates."

"Such a good housewife you are."

"Don't." Levi growled warningly. "You're going to get me trouble."

There was a pause and Levi was afraid the other hung up or dropped the phone, but the faint sounds of breathing could be heard.

"What are you doing?"

"Just relaxing in bed, thinking. I wanted to talk to you about something, actually, but I'd rather it in person."

Levi tried to think of what he could want, and if it was safe to invite him over again. _Three days in a row might be pushing it,_ he thought. He'd rather not be stuck in the other's apartment, however, as it was probably very messy, or rather not up to his standards. It made him uncomfortable just to think about and he'd much rather meet on his own terms in a place familiar to him. Perhaps it wasn't too urgent and could wait after the weekend.

"I want to see you again, Little Bird."

 He wanted to see Levi. And Levi wanted to see him. Those stupid words caused the whole of his feelings to shift, and more than ever, he wanted the man near him, and he was willing to risk all the trouble to have him. "Come over for dinner at six thirty. I'm making steak."

"Ahh, you're too good to me."

                _Click._

Levi hung up—not out of embarrassment or anything like that, but because he had so much cleaning to do. Especially now that the other was coming over. He heard a small _thunk_ and a few seconds later Captain rubbed himself across his legs.

The giant Ragdoll was mindful not to step on Levi's feet, lucky for Levi, as the feline weighed over thirty pounds. He sat down next to the Cleaner for a moment to lick his paw and swipe it over his bicolored face. Captain was a gorgeous cat by all standards—"purebred" as he'd lead one to believe—his fluffy coat soft and shimmering and a cover for his bulky body. Levi used to like to call him fat, but Captain set him straight on that, so he never did it again. As a reward, the cat stopped bringing dead animals in as gifts and stuck to simple things such as occasionally lying on Levi's chest while the man was sleeping and nearly suffocating him. Coming around the corner and scaring him was also a favorite, but that often led to the full name ultimatum, and Cap didn't like that too much.

Once he was done licking his face clean, he rubbed himself against Levi again and then jumped onto the counter, attempting to nudge the plate out of Levi's hands. _Pet me_.

"I'm cleaning."

                _Pet me._

Levi put down the dish and wiped his hands on a towel before rubbing behind the cat's ears, earning a sweet chirp-like sound. He moved to scratching under the furry chin, which had Captain purring like a happy kitten.

"Why are you being so affectionate this morning? Are you that tired?" Levi pet along the ridge of the cat's back, but his words were responded to with a glare. _Who were you talking to?_

"A coworker called is all. Did my voice really make it to the bedroom?" Levi began to rub a bit rougher, growing nervous, wondering whether his voice traveled or not.

A little _mrrr_ told him that just the noise could be heard—not his words. The raven relaxed a little and buried his face into Captain's side and hummed, earning a questioning chirp and louder purring. "I'm going to make steak for dinner, so look forward to that after you hunt tonight." Captain was probably going to come home early—around eleven or twelve, but that was fine. The cat loved steak.

"After you eat, go take a nap, you get cranky," Levi said and turned back to the dishes, washing them again. A confirming mewl was all he got. Levi wondered what he should make with the steak.

* * *

 

"Dinner was absolutely wonderful, Little Bird," the blond hummed contentedly as Levi cleared away all of the dishes and poured more wine into the glasses. Levi gave a small grunt of gratitude before wiping down the table and going to plop down on the couch. As expected, the Titan Killer followed, a light smile on his face and a happy glow about him. He made himself comfortable, throwing his arm on the back of the sofa so his fingers could mess with the long black locks.

"You really outdid yourself; I don't think I've ever been so satisfied with a meal before."

"You flatter me too much, Pervert," Levi responded affectionately, but without actually sounding flattered. He scooted closer and cradled his wine, taking small sips and enjoying himself completely. It had been a long time since he had felt anything of the sort, so indulging it didn't feel so wrong. "But what did you want to talk about? Since dinner wasn't a suitable time for you."

While he tried to seem collected, Levi could tell the other didn't wish to bring up whatever it was, as much as he did. The raven waited patiently for him to begin, and leaned his head back into the large hand petting his hair, crooning at the pleasure of a head rub.

"How would you..." _Pervert_ began after a few moments of gathering his thoughts, but decided that wasn't how he wanted to start, "How do you perceive our relationship? Are we close, in your opinion?"

_Close..._ Levi thought a moment, pondering if they really were. His mind went to his special person, and knowing that was different, decided his answer. "I think we are," he nodded. A smile fought its way onto the Titan Killer's face and he gave Levi's head a nice scratch before continuing.

"I think so, too. But there always seems to be something getting in the way of...well, I would very much like to be closer to you. I want to know everything about you—no one has ever held my interest this much, and certainly not for this long." He paused, trepidation evident and clouding his normally crisp blue eyes. Levi was growing anxious and confused. It seemed so _wrong_ for the blond to be hesitating and stumbling, he always appeared decisive and in control. "And I would hate for anyone to get in the way of us growing more attached to one another. I'm quite fond of you Little Bird, more than a bit, and, well... I feel a certain... _Protectiveness_ over you, and if there was anyone that was hurting you or scaring you... well—"

"What, you want to protect me from a perceived threat or something?" Levi asked, without any spite or malice. _Curiosity and...Fondness. That's what I'm feeling, isn't it?_ Must have been the wine, certainly.

"Yes," the large killer said quietly, nodding.

Levi set his glass down on the coffee table next to the blond's. The wine had made him bolder, more sure, more... _friendly_. He climbed into the other man's lap and straddled his hips, sitting and being able to see his eyes without looking up. The two stared at each other for the longest time before Levi finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"What makes you think I need protection?"

"Whether you need it or not, I'd like to give you it."

"That's sweet." Bemusement shone in both of their eyes, but a soft affection soon overtook.

"So just tell me anything you fear or need to be protected from, and I'll be your knight."

"Of course, my hero," Levi smirked and ran his hands through the blond hair. It was soft and filled his nose with a light scent of the man's shampoo. He leaned down a little, their faces so close, and gently caught another whiff.

"Tell me, Little Bird. Who do you fear?"

"No one right now," Levi whispered, closing the gap between their lips, capturing the blond's mouth with his own. The Titan Killer had rather large, plump lips for a man, and they were softer than Levi had expected and they fit well against his own smaller ones. The taste of wine mingled with the man's natural taste and filled the raven's senses, his head tingling and buzzing. A hand reached up and snaked through his hair and his own slipped down the other's neck and rested on his shoulders, clutching the fabric as if trying to hold himself steady.

He felt a tongue swipe over his lips, but continued on with the closed-mouth kiss, teasing the blond by not granting him anymore. He pulled back as _Pervert_ moved his other hand to rub down the Levi's back, stopping just above his bottom. A playful smile was flashed, as if he were challenging the Cleaner, who met it with just as much ebullience, reaching behind himself to grab the other's arm and pushing it down. The blond cupped his ass, which fit so nicely in his hand and gave it a squeeze, which prompted Levi to go in for another kiss.

They kissed with the fervency of a couple of frisky teens, passion beginning to boil over and consume them. Levi had never felt such intensity toward another person for any such reason, and everything was threatening to overtake him.

Until he heard the noise. It had to have been a mistake, it was barely eight thirty. _He_ couldn't possibly be home yet, there was no way. But he heard another _thump_ and there was no mistaking it. He broke apart from the other, gripping his shirt and trying to get him to focus, to come down from the sensual high they were building.

"You need to leave _now_ ," he whispered urgently, trying to gauge where exactly _he_ was at the moment, and which path to avoid.

"Wh—"

"Don't speak, just go—"

As he attempted to untangle himself from the blond, there was a shift in the couch. Levi's heart dropped, and he swore there was no air in the room. They had been caught, and he could feel those _eyes_ on their intertwined bodies.

"Little Bi—"

"I—"

" _Mrrrrrrrroooooorrrrr._ "

"He's just a friend," Levi tried to explain more, but both of the others cut him off.

"Excuse me, _just_ a friend? We were—"

"Aeeerrrrrrrrr!"

"Why are you even looking at the cat like he's going to stab you, Little Bird?"

                _Why is this **human** in my house?_

"Little Bird?"

                _Make him leave. I don't like the smell of him._

"What is it—"

"Will both of you stop it?" Levi snapped. He pulled himself off of the blond and backed away from the couch, around the coffee table. He rubbed his head frantically, distressed, in an attempt to think.

"I couldn't tell you about him—I knew how you'd react!" The Titan Killer looked at him, flummoxed, as Captain just looked on, unimpressed. It was as if he was saying _So you lied to me instead. Hid him from me._

"I was going to tell you..."

"Little Bird, who are you talking to? Why do you sound so harrowed?"

"The cat, you idiot—who else would I be talking to?"

"The...cat," the large man looked down and to the left at the 36 pound Ragdoll cat grooming himself and occasionally sending a few squints his way. His eyes widened and he looked back at Levi with the most befuddled and yet amused expression. "Your _cat_ is the reason you've been kicking me out every night?"

A questioning meow came from his side. _Every night? So that's why you've been cleaning more._

"That... Yes," Levi admitted, looking at his feet. He shifted back and forth, unwilling to look up at either of them.

"He must be pure evil for you to fear him so." The blond was either unable to keep the amusement out of his voice, or he just didn't care to. A pleased mewl beside him agreed. Levi's eyes snapped up, embarrassment and annoyance swirling in the stormy grey.

"I'm not afraid and he's just a brat. It's not your furniture he threatened to scratch up and pee on if another person ever stepped foot onto 'his territory' and it isn't your house he threatened to burn down if I ever betrayed him. He doesn't like other people, alright? I wouldn't be sitting and laughing so close to him if I were you." He crossed his arms, gripping his biceps to calm himself.

The Titan Killer's eyes still shone with the humor he found in the situation. He wouldn't think it was funny if he knew what Captain was really like. The raven let out a sigh and began to make the Ragdoll a plate of steak. "Laugh all you like, I won't save you when he goes to claw out your eyes."

"I'm laughing at myself," the blond called after him and watched as he prepared everything. Captain jumped down from the couch, still squinting suspiciously at the large man in his house, and padded off to go eat. He swished his tail moodily as Levi walked by to return to Erwin on the couch.

"What's so funny about you?" he asked, curling up next to the other killer.

"It was just..." the Titan Killer chuckled and shook his head, "I was jealous of a cat all this time. It's unbelievable."

Jealous _?_ He was jealous. _Jealous_. The word reverberated throughout the raven's mind as his heart began to soar again. Shimmying closer, until he was practically on top of the other again, Levi gave a little hum.

"Doesn't sound very in character for you... _Pervert._ "

"Sure it does, if you know how I feel about my Little Bird." A long, drawn out warning meow told them that they were done flirting for the night. Levi walked the blond to the door, tapping it anxiously as the man smiled down at him.

"Now, you're certain that there's no one for me to get worked up about in your life?"

"There's no one. You and Captain are the only ones in my life at the moment."

"That's good to hear. Goodnight, Little Bird. I'll count the hours until I see you again." He leaned down and gave Levi a peck on the forehead, brushing stray black hair behind his ear. Levi closed the door and leaned against it until he could feel his heart calm down at bit.

 

As he got ready for bed, Captain jumped on the mattress and held Levi's spot hostage. He wanted answers, even if Levi was not ready to give them. _Who is he? What's his name? Is he dangerous? What's he like? What does he want? Why haven't you killed him yet?_

"He's the Titan Killer, Cap," Levi couldn't lie to the Ragdoll; there was no reason to try. Especially when he made the raven feel so judged at this point. "I'm not one hundred percent sure of his name, but I have a few ideas. He is dangerous, but not to me. He's smart and he's funny—well, I think he's funny. We were just playing a game and we... Became friends, I guess."

A judgmental _mrrow_ had the Cleaner sulking, walking to the door to leave the bedroom before Captain began to purr. He was willing to give the Titan Killer a chance. For Levi.

The two curled up around each other and slept peacefully.

 

***

 

"Don't worry, Nile. I'm not killing anyone."

Nile stared blankly as his wall, pen in hand. He blinked twice and nodded, turning his attention back to the paper in front of him. "That's always good to hear." He had already taken his medicine for the night, and was feeling relaxed, more sleepy than anything. The Titan Killer showing up as his house for the second night that week was more annoying than frightening. He was in the middle of writing down his feelings for the day, and Bo even left him alone so as not to distract him.

"Hm? Not curious as to why?"

"Not particularly."

"You're no fun."

"I know." He wished he could write down _feeling slightly agitated at the fact that I have the country's most wanted serial killer in my room trying to talk to me about his other infamous serial killer obsession/boyfriend, when I really just want to curl up and go to sleep._ But since Bo would be reading it, or at least the therapist, he figured he should omit that.

"Cat."

Nile put down his pen and looked at the blond. "Excuse me?"

"It was a cat. Not a person—a cat."

"Oh."

"Laugh, Nile. It's _funny_. I was plotting to murder a cat."

The man scratched at his beard with a small frown before forcing out loud, hysterical laughter, prompting the killer to scowl and hush him.

"You're trying to get dear Bo in here, aren't you?"

Nodding, Nile turned back to his desk. "That was the plan. You usually go away when he's here."

"I'll kill him."

"You don't kill cops."

"I hate when you think rationally when I'm trying to mess with you. You're a lot more fun when you're scared out of your wits because of me." The blond stretched casually and walked over to the desk, snatching the paper away and was rewarded with a sigh. He just wanted to finish it up and then he could go to bed. His dreams were calling to him, and they were always the greatest alternative to being awake and lonely and depressed and self-loathing. Normally he could be with his kids in his dreams. It had been too long since the last visit and it was starting to take its toll on him.

"Are you writing romantic poetry about Bo again?" the Titan Killer smirked, scanning over the pages and teasing Nile.

"Not this time, since he'll be reading it and sending it along to my psychiatrist," Nile responded dully. He grabbed for the paper, but it was held out of his reach. "What do you even want?"

"I want you to write him a love letter before I come back. And I want to read it."

"Oh?"

"Your face is red." Nile could feel his ears burn at that, but refused to back down and break his apathetic façade.

"Why do you want it?"

"Because I like making fun of you. And if you don't, I'll break into your ex-wife's house, destroy half of it and kill your first born. And then tell you how stupid I think his name is." The blond looked so pleased with himself, probably because he knew that Nile, even on his medication, would listen to him. Nile was nothing if not the most dedicated father and would rather shatter his pride into thousands of shards before risking the lives of his children. "I'll write it tomorrow. Will you leave me alone now?"

"Ah, I can't wait; it should be fun to read. I'm so excited, thank you Nile. My day is set tomorrow."

Nile made a grunt and then watched as the killer made his grand exit from the house, closing the window on the way out. He sighed and went to bed.

 

***

 

Six a.m. and Levi was up, texting the Titan Killer, of course now under the name of _The Pervert_ in the contact list. It always brought a smile to his face when he phone read " _New message from The Pervert._ "

_“Are you awake, Little Bird? It's a brand new day. Look outside--the sun is almost as dazzling as you. :) "_

With a shake of his head, he typed out a reply, occasionally stopping to pat Captain, rubbing behind the ears.

       " _Im awake. it's cloudy out tho, idiot. the sun isnt doing much_ "

A few seconds later, the blond texted back:

       " _It's hiding its beauty, just like what you try to do._ "

       " _Idiot_."

A soft _mrrr_ told him Captain was awake. Looking down, grey met with grey and blue.

"I don't hate him," he said, both telling himself and the cat. "I think he's funny..."

"Mrrrow." _That means you like him then._

"It... Maybe it does..." Levi had never been attracted to anyone in his entire life. He could look at someone and think their face was pleasant enough to look at, or that they have a conventionally nice body, but he never wanted them. There was no point, people just got in the way or wasted his time. Ever since he was younger, he thought it was because he had his mission and nothing could get in the way and that would never change. But they had kissed. Levi's first kiss. Levi's first intimate moment with another person.

It had been with another killer, which for all intents and purposes _should_ have made sense, but the Titan Killer was not a mission oriented killer. He didn't kill so that others could be free. He killed because he wanted to, and that should have meant he was no good either, no better than the trash that hurt people with their selfishness. He should have been the type of person Levi hated the most, the type Levi hunted.

But Levi had figured out his victimology. The Titan Killer's victims had all, in some way, been terrible parents. Neglect, outright abuse, abandonment, subtle and overt, they were all related to children. It was strange to think that even he fell into a pattern, but Levi didn't rule out the possibility that the Titan Killer simply _chose_ to kill them instead of having a need to do so.

"Mrrow aeerr." _He smells funny to me. But if he doesn't hurt you, I won't be too hostile._

"Okay, Captain."

       " _Why are you up so early, my sweet Little Bird?_ "

       " _Talking w/ Captain_ "

       " _And how is the big fellow? Well, I hope._ "

       " _Hes fine. he doesnt hate you or anything, so count yourself lucky._ "

       " _I certainly hope you put in a good word for me. :)_ "

       " _Naturaly_ "

       " _So Captain is his name? Did you pick it? I've been meaning to ask_."

       " _No. 'Captain' is his rank. he's 'Captain Meowington III' of the esteemed Meowington line. They have a long history of kicking ass, taking names and training humans to do their bidding. very prestegious line. or so he says_ "

With a contented sigh, Levi set his phone aside and pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around them. It was a confusing business, sorting out just what emotions he felt for the other killer, especially since emotions were never his forte. And although the Titan Killer had sociopathic tendencies, he did seem unusually interested in Levi, even though he had nothing to offer that he didn't already have.

His phone buzzed and he picked it up, rubbing Captain's giant belly with his free hand.

       " _You're too adorable for words, you know. My precious Little Bird. <3_"

Levi tossed his phone to the foot of the bed and squinted suspiciously at it with Captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Levi doesn't have spell check, and no matter how many big words he knows, spelling them will forever be the bane of his literary skills.
> 
> I love ya'll, and I'm sorry I've been a shitty writer/updater, but you guys make me SO happy, and I'm so grateful <3

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this little thing. It's a story that my girlfriend and I came up with. Most (leaning towards 80%) of Erwin's dialogue, motives, killings, backstory etc. come from her. The whole basic encompassing plot is mostly hers, I'm just expanding upon it and writing it down and cos I thought it'd be a shame for others not to read it.
> 
>  
> 
> Also this chapter has been sitting as a draft for a couple weeks, so I decided it'd be okay to post it now *nervous laughter*.


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